UPDATE: On March 15, 2023, the RCMP announced Desylva now faces over a dozen additional charges in connection with the incident, including attempted murder with a firearm and discharging a firearm with intent.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released new details about a police-involved shooting last week in Canmore that left one man facing criminal charges.
On the night of Feb. 24, a Canmore police officer was in the midst of a traffic stop when they saw another vehicle do a U-turn to avoid passing the officer, ASIRT said in a news release Wednesday.
In an earlier release, RCMP identified the driver as 27-year-old Austin Desylva.
“The RCMP member began pursuing this vehicle, whose driver (Desylva) twice fired upon him, damaging the RCMP vehicle’s windshield,” ASIRT said.
The chase continued into a cul-de-sac where Desylva got stuck in snow. The officer fired at them, causing Desylva to run from his vehicle and into a “wooded area,” where he was later found and taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.
As Desylva was injured, an investigation continues into the use of the officer’s weapon. Desylva has been charged with discharging a firearm with intent and aggravated assault of an officer.